Removable propelling mechanism for boats



March 9 1926. 1,576,178

. A. M. C. DE CORTA REMOVABLE. PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR BOATS Filed Feb.5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z M Amm'r March 9 1926. 1,576,178

- A. M. c. DE CQRTA REMOVABLE PROPELLING MECHANIMiFOR sous Filed 1925 2Sheets-Sheeig- Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE MARIE CHARLES DE COBTA, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

REMOVABLE PBOPELLING MECHANISM FOR BOATSQ Application filed February 8,1925. Serial- No. 6,665.

. To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, AUoUs'rE MARIE CHARLES DE CoR'rA, a citizen of theRepublic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certain new'and useful Improve ments in Removable Propellin'g Mechanism for Boats,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a removable device that willenable any boat to be fitted promptly with a ropeller and with gear fortransmitting t c drive thereto without involving any constructionalmodification of the boat. Detachable or removable devices of the samekind known in the prior art are generally constituted by a rigid blockincluding the engine and all its attachments together with transmissionsand the propeller. The power of such devices is therefore limited by theweight of the engine, very powerful engines being too heavyforadaptation to a'detachable device.

On the contrary the propelling mechanism. which is, the object of myinvention is en-' tirely separate from the. engine that supplies theenergy required to propel the boat, and permits a powerful engine to beused without itself ceasing to be removable.

In order to make my invention'more clearly understood I haveillustrated, as an example, an embodiment thereof in and by drawingsappended hereto and wherein:. Figure 1 is an elevation showing myimproved mechanism fitted on the stern of a oat;

Figure 2 is a vertical section showing the said mechanism tilted.

Figure 3 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1 showing the joint of the frameand its union with the cradle:

Figure 4 is a sectional view of cradle a. In all the figures the samereference letters denote the same parts. 7

My invention comprises four main parts, viz:

Cradle a rigidly secured to the boat and carrying the entire propellingmechanism.

Horizontal frame b resting on cradle a;

Vertical arm a integral with frame I); Propeller-carrying shoe d.

' frame 6.

Energy, supposed to be developed by an Cradle a is a U-section hollowbeam (Fig..' ure 4:) the trough of which receives the engine positionedanywhere aboard the boat, is transmitted to the propelling mechanism by,say, for instance, a shaft a. connected with shaft 7 of the device by aCardan or universal joint g. Shaft f carries a bevel pinion h meshingwith bevel pinion it secured an the upper end of vertical shaft 11. Thelower end of the latter shaft carries a pinion j meshing with pinion y"secured on the horizontal shaft of the propeller.

The two sets of pinions h-h and j-j' can be geared in any suitable ratioin order to impart to the propeller any required rotary speed, whateverthe rotary speed of shaft 6, the rotary motion received by the mechanismfrom shaft 0 being thus modified and transmitted to the propeller.

Tube 1 concentric with shaft 2' runs through the vertical arm and issecured to ahoed. Said tube carries at its upper end a pinion m meshingwith worm n. The latter is controlled by means of a steering wheel 0located in front of the frame b. By turning the steering wheel 0 I amable to bring and set the shoe and the propeller to and i in anyposition around vertical shaft 2'. I achieve in this way the steering ofthe boat. An indicator 1) located near the steering wheel 0 shows theposition of the propeller in the water.

Frame 6 is rovided at its fore part with two side whee s 1' whichprotrude from underneath the frame when the latter is tilted and whichare adapted to move along two tracks or ways g constituted by the bottomof cradle a. Said wheels are mounted on two hollow shafts t madeintegral with frame b. In working position, wheels r are held stationarywith relation to cradle 11 by means of two screws 8 fixed to cradle aand arranged to penetrate into the bores of the hollow shafts t (seeFigure 3). In this position, the whole device can be tilted or swung.aroundthe axis of wheels 7', as shown by Figure 2. a

The meeting point of the two axes forming the cross of the -Gardan joint9 is on the axis of wheels 1*, thus permittlng the device to be tiltedwithout dismantling the Cardan joint g. In operation, frame 6 restsalong its whole length on cradle 11 and these two parts are rigldlyconnected by means of flanges or of any other mode of fixation.

when negotiating locks.

I wish it to be clearly understood that the above description of anembodiment of my device is by no means limitative and that I reserve theright to introduce any constructional alterations without being deemedto depart from the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. Propelling mechanism for boats, comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to a boat; a propeller unit supported upon the cradle andadaptedto be tilted about a horizontal axis into and'out of the water and totravel bodily lengthwise of the cradle;

and a connecting device for coupling the propeller unit with the engineof the boat to be driven therefrom.

2. Propelling mechanism for boats,-comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to the I boat and embodying a pair of parallel tracks; apropeller unit' supported upon the cradle and provided with a pair ofwheels adapted to travel along its tracks; and a connecting device forcoupling the propeller unit with the engine of the boat to be driventherefrom.

' 3. Propelling mechanism for boats, comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to a boat; a propeller unit supported upon the cradle andadapted to be tilted about a hori- 'zontal axis into and out of thewaterand to travel bodily lengthwiseof the cradle;

and a connecting device leading to the pro peller unit from the engineof the boat for driving the former from the latter, s'aid device havinga universal-joint connection with said unit.

4. Propelling mechanism for boats, comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to the boat and embodying a pair of parallel tracks; a propellerunit supported upon the cradle and provided with a pair of wheelsadapted to travel along its tracks; and a driving connection leadingfrom the engine to the propeller unit and having a universaljointconnection with the latter, said joint being positioned coaxially withsaid wheels to enable the propeller unit to be tilted bodily about theaxis of the wheels.

5. repelling mechanism for boats, comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to the boat and embodying a pair of parallel tracks; a propellerunit supported upon the cradle and provided with a pair of wheelsadapted to travel along its tracks; a connecting device for coupling thepropeller unit with the engine of the boat to be driven therefrom; andmeans for normally locking saidunit against traveling movement.

6. Propelling mechanism according to claim 5, in which the locking meansengage the wheels of the propeller unit.

7. Propelling mechanism according 'to claim 5, in which the lockingmeans comprise screws rotatably mounted in the tracks for movement intoand out of engagement with the wheels of the propeller unit.

8. Propelling mechanism for boats, comprising a cradle adapted to besecured to a boat; a propeller unit supported upon the cradle andadapted to be tilted about a horizontal axis into and out of the waterand to travel bodily lengthwise of the cradle; a driving connection forcoupling said unit with the engine of the boat; and means engageablewith the propeller unit to normally lock it against both tilting andtraveling movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AUGUSTI-I IARIE CHARLES do COR'I'A.

